Abstract
Binocular scanning electron microscope (SEM) has been developed. A pair of coils is set between the objective lens and a specimen of the ordinary SEM. The upper coil deflects the electron beam outward. The lower coil return it to the original focus. For this detour of the path, the beam irradiates a specimen from the direction oblique to the optical axis. The binocular SEM has double scanning lines, as compared with the ordinary one. The beam leans leftward at odd scans, while rightward at even scans. The odd scanning image is displayed on the left CRT, while the even image on the right CRT. Looking both images using a stereoscope, we can observe the 3-D shape of an object in real time.
When we cannot observe a 3-D shape in real time, we must decide whether to take a stereophoto pair or not, on the basis of 2-D image. Unless by chance, we may fail to find such an interest 3-D pattern that is recognizable only by the stereography. On the contrary, the binocular SEM enable to keep out this failure. Consequently, the binocular SEM surely contributes to give more interesting informations to the research works using the SEM.
